The invention relates to pharmaceuticals, and more particularly relates to pharmaceuticals for use in treating tumors in humans.
One object of the invention is to provide a family of pharmaceuticals for use in treating tumors in humans.
Another object is, in general, to improve upon known therapies for treatment of tumors in humans.
In accordance with the invention, there is a provided a family of highly-homologous and closely related proteins. The family is exemplified by four purified proteins, each having a) an amino acid sequence that is 114 amino acids long, b) an isoelectric point of approximately 10, and c) a molecular weight of approximately 13,000. Advantageously although not necessarily, the proteins are derived from frog eggs and preferably from the eggs of the Rana pipiens frog.
The above-referenced four purified proteins are glycoproteins, i.e. each contains glycans (carbohydrates) that are linked to the protein by covalent bonds. However, the glycan moieties are not necessary for the bioactivity of the proteins against human tumor cell lines.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,559,212 and 5,728,805 disclose two protein peaks coming off a cationic-exchange chromatography column. U.S. Pat. No. 5,559,212 describes the amino acid sequence and composition of the protein in the first (larger) peak, and the disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 5,728,805 extends this description by describing the amino acid sequence and composition of the protein in the second (smaller) peak. A third protein peak also comes off the ion-exchange column, and this (still smaller) peak has now been shown to contain four proteins that are sufficiently similar to justify their designation as a family. Because the third protein peak is eluted after the first and second peaks, the proteins in that peak are more basic.
Tests have shown that each of the four proteins possesses bioactivity against two human carcinoma cell lines.